Yates and Thom

{{short description|British manufacturer of heavy machinery}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}

Yates & Thom Ltd, or Yates of Blackburn, was a British manufacturer of stationary steam engines and boilers at the Canal Ironworks, Blackburn, Lancashire, England.

The company had its origins in a blacksmith's shop started by William Yates in 1824.

image:Steam engine, Leigh Spinners. - geograph.org.uk - 733978.jpg

In the 1860s, the company supplied a cam operated, drop valve compound engine operating at 100 psi to the India Mill, Darwen.{{Harvnb|Hills|1993|p=177}} Other mills supplied by Yates and Thom included the Durban Mill, Oldham. This was an 1800 hp triple-expansion four-cylinder engine built in 1906. It had a 24" HP cylinder, a 29" IP cylinder and two 38" LP cylinders with a 5 ft 6 in stroke. At 180 psi, it drove a 27-ft, 67-ton flywheel with 38 ropes at 65 rpm. It used Corliss valves on all cylinders.{{Harvnb|Roberts|1921}} An engine, one of a pair supplied by the firm, survives at Leigh Spinners.{{NHLE|num=1253119 |desc=Leigh Mill, Park Lane|access-date=17 July 2012}}

The company supplied a 3,300 horsepower twin tandem compound engine, which survives in the engine house at the Astley Green Colliery Museum. It was the largest steam winding engine used on the Lancashire Coalfield.{{PastScape|mnumber=623407 |mname=Astley Green Colliery|access-date=29 July 2010}}

In 1928, the company became Foster, Yates and Thom when it was acquired by Joseph Foster & Sons.{{cite news |newspaper=Lancashire Evening Post |date=11 April 1939 |page=8 |title=Death of Sir W. Thom |publisher=British Newspaper Archive }} {{subscription required}} The company continued to manufacture boilers until 1964, with the remainder of the works closing in 1973.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/archive/2009/02/26/Looking+Back+(pen_lookingback)/4156537.Happy_memories_forged_by_engineering_giant_of_day/|title=Archive news from the This Is Lancashire|website=www.thisislancashire.co.uk}}